Page 77 of Finley

Daniel grabbed the dishtowel from the counter, and as he wiped his hands, Brantley nodded.

“I never meant to deceive you, Mrs.—”

“Oh, hush. And it’s Camille. I just want to know one thing.”

Brantley looked worried as she straightened and brought her glass back to her lips.

She took a sip and then asked, “Do you care about my boy?”

Daniel swallowed, and could barely hear over his thudding pulse. Trust his mother to go right for the heart of the matter. Well, he’d warned Brantley. There was no subtlety in the Finley house.

But it wasBrantley’slack of subtlety that cut Daniel straight to the core when he replied, “I’ve never cared about someone more.”

Chapter 22

THE WALK HOME from the Finleys’ house was just as Brantley had suspected it might be: quiet, reflective, and full of unspoken words.

The waves were racing to shore as the moon glimmered high in the sky, and as they walked hand in hand, he thought it was telling that he hadn’t felt so complete as he did right then, with this man beside him.

Glancing at Daniel out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wind ruffle his hair and couldn’t help but bring him to a stop. When he turned to face him, Brantley reached out and right there, in the perfection of the night, cradled Daniel’s face and poured into the kiss he was giving every ounce of love he felt.

He didn’t care if he was the one laying his soul open first. Didn’t care that he was handing his heart over to the man currently embracing him. All he cared about was getting as close to Daniel as he could, for as long as he could.

He parted his lips under the demanding ones seeking permission, and he groaned when Daniel slid his tongue inside to deepen the connection. The moment was perfect. The man was perfect. And as the waves continued to crash and thunder like his heart, Brantley thought he could die and have had the most perfect moment of his life.

When Daniel whispered against his mouth, “Take me home,” he saw the man he’d fallen in love with years ago reflected back at him.

“You sure?” he asked, needing the verbal confirmation that Daniel knew what this would mean to him. That he understood that this was no quick fling. Not anymore. Two weeks be damned.

If Daniel agreed to this, Brantley was going to do everything in his power to imprint himself on this man’s soul.

“I’ve never wanted anything more.”

“Never?”

The smile that crept across Daniel’s lips was both shy and sensual, and it was so similar to the young man he’d once been that it had Brantley leaning in to kiss him by his ear.

“Come inside with me,” he said. Then he started to walk backward, making sure to keep hold of Daniel’s hand and pull him along with him. The desire in those golden eyes mixed with a heady dose of awe as he followed close behind.

WHEN DANIEL WALKEDinto Brantley’s room and he unlocked and pushed the windows open, a thrill of anticipation spread gooseflesh over his body as the wind whipped up and through the curtains.

He couldn’t remember being this nervous about having sex with someone since…fuck,since he’d been with this man.

Usually the one in control, he’d chosen his men back in Chicago with care—always making sure he would be able to keep his heart out of the equation. Only once had he been tempted to go in a different direction, and that had shocked even him, considering it involved more than one man. But the more he thought about that particular incident, the more he was starting to realize what their draw had been. It was that closeness they shared, and perhaps the fact that the preppy, suit-wearing lawyer had reminded him of?—

“Finn?”

“Hmm?” Daniel replied as Brantley walked over to him.

“You okay?”

Reaching for the button of his shirt, he nodded. “I am.”

When Brantley stopped in front of him, he took over undoing the buttons. “Did you mean what you said at your mother’s?”

He didn’t have to ask which part. Daniel knew what Brantley was referring to as he slid his hand inside his open shirt.

“Isyour heart involved?”